Incident Overview
On November 27, 2006, at approximately 10:00 UTC (11:00 local time), a Bell 412 helicopter with registration I-AIVO suffered a fatal accident in the locality of Monasterolo di Cafasse, within the province of Turin, Italy. The aircraft was destroyed after impacting the cliff face of Monte Basso. Both occupants on board perished due to the violent impact.
Flight Details and Context
The helicopter took off from the helipad in Cafasse, a secondary base for the operator, shortly before 10:00 UTC. The mission involved conducting a joint mountain rescue exercise with local alpine rescue personnel in Ala di Stura. This training included winch operations simulating the rescue of individuals stranded on a malfunctioning chairlift.
The flight was initially cancelled due to poor visibility conditions in the Cafasse area. However, after receiving information that visibility at the destination was optimal (estimated at 10 km), the pilot personally drove to the entrance of the Lanzo Valley to verify weather conditions along the planned route. Upon returning to base and confirming the valley was free of fog, the pilot decided to proceed with the flight.
Personnel and Aircraft Status
The helicopter was operated by Airgreen srl, a company based in Robassomero and Cafasse. The two individuals on board were the pilot, a 52-year-old Italian male holding a valid ATPL(H) license, and a 26-year-old Italian male helicopter technician employed by the same company.
The Bell 412 is a twin-engine helicopter with a four-blade main rotor. The specific aircraft involved was registered in Italy in 1997. It was not equipped with flight data or cockpit voice recorders but did have an Altair Avionics SmartCycle system for monitoring engine parameters.
Accident Dynamics
Approximately three minutes after takeoff, the helicopter collided frontally with the steep slope of Monte Basso. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. No damage to third parties on the ground was reported. The investigation was conducted by the Italian National Agency for Aviation Safety (ANSV), which visited the site on November 28, 2006.